Armor-piercing and tracer bullet



W. L. CLAY. ARMOR PIERCING AND TRACER BULLET. APPLICATION FLLED NOV. 18, 1918. 1,432,669, Patented Oct. 17,1922.

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ARMORePIERCING AND TRACER BULLET.

Application filed November 18, 1 918fSeria1 No. 263,049.

,(FILED unnnnrnn" ACT or MARCH a, 1883, 22 STAT. I..,= 625.

T 0 all whom it may concern a Be it known that I, WALLACE L. CLAY, lieut. col. Ordnance Department, United States Army, a citizen of the United States, stationed at F rankford Arsenal, have invented an Improvement in. Armor-Piercing and Tracer Bullets, of which the following is a specification. v

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or, any of its ofiicers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without. paymentof any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to devices commonly known as combined tracer and armor piercing bullets or projectiles and .capable of emitting a pencil of visible vapor by day or a pencil of light by night-to denote the line vof flight, and to pierce the objective, and has for one of its objectives to improve and simplify the construction and increase the efficiency of devices of this character slug.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having means whereby the vapor and light producing composition is protected during the flight Ofbhe projectile and the emanations controlled and directed.

Another object of the invention, is to produce a device of this character havingmeans whereby the container for the vapor. and light producing medium' is secured to the A body of the projectile.

Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and'useful improvements hereinafter described and specifically set forth in the claims, and in ;the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention Fig, l is a longitudinal section proved projectile.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the jacket or shell.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the receptacle for the tracer composition.

Fig. 4 is a detached side elevation of the of the im- The improved device comprises a core or slug l0 pointed at the forward end and encased in ajacketor shell 11.

The slug is formed of an armor piercing metal such as steel, while the shell'or jacket is of av metal or metallic compound which will rupture upon-impact with an objective such as-an armor plate, engine body or frame or other resisting structures leaving the slug,

free to penetrate the resisting'body. The metal of the jacket may be cupro-nickel, gildingv metal or the like which is readily rupturable when striking, an objective'or hard body. Located within the shell rearwardly of the slug is a receptacle 12'for a tracer composition, indicated at 13. I

The receptacle 12 has itsinner end closed and slightly curved and resting againstthe base of the slug so as to hold the slug firmly against rearward movement.

:The receptacle 12 is open at the rear end and secured in position by crimping the rear end of the shell inwardly as shown in Fig. 1 I r The j charge 13 of thereceptacle may be inserted before or after the deposit in the shellof the casing 12. I

i The action of the projectile is as follows:

When the cartridge is fired, the flame from l the propelling powder ignites the tracer composition, which burns throughout the flight of the projectile approximately 300 or 400 yards orlonger, depending upon the tracer composition used. Upon impact with the enemys armor plate, engine parts, vor any other resisting material, the jacket is ruptured while the steel plugcauses penetration.

What is claimed as new and desired to se-' cure by Letters Patent is: v

,1. A projectile of the class described c0mprising a jacket of a material ruptured upon impact, an armor piercing slug within the forward portion of the jacket, and a recepta-' cle within the jacket formed with the curved closed end resting against the base of the slug, said receptacle containing a substance for producing a visible vapor and a flash of light.

2. A projectile of the class described comprising a jacket of a material ruptured upon impact, an armor piercing slug within the forward portion of the jacket, a receptacle within' the jacket having a closed and impact; ynarmor piercin slug within the 'ing-ag'ainst the base of the slug, said rece'p j forward pdrtion of the jaw et, and ar eceptatacleeontaining a substance for prodncingw cle within the jacket closednt the 'inner. end 19 visible vapor and: a -fl ashof 1i ht,1.and means and bearing thereby aginst the slug; said re- 5 forhaldingthe te'cefitziclewififinthe vjacket. 'ceptaplf 'cbntaining msfibstanc fiiikptodtic- .3; 'A' projectile of the class described c0m vingv aqvis ible vapor and a. flash of 1i ht; prising ajjacketofa material ruptured uponf g 1;, I WA LLACE L. C AY. 

